7.  The applicant was born in 1980 and lives in Chişinău, Moldova. He was a student at the time of the events and earned a stipend of 50 Moldovan Lei (MDL).
8.  On 18 April 2000, between 9.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m., the applicant attended a demonstration against the decision of the Municipal Council to abolish urban transport privileges for students. The demonstration was not authorised in accordance with the law and it appears from the statements of the parties that its organisers did not even apply for authorisation. The demonstration took place on the Great National Assembly Square in Chişinău. In the beginning it was peaceful, but later some of the demonstrators started to throw eggs and stones at the Municipality building and the police intervened.
9.  Around 12.30 p.m. the applicant was arrested by the police on grounds of being an active participant in an unauthorised demonstration in breach of Article 174/1 § 4 of the Code of Administrative Offences (hereinafter referred to as the “CAO”). He was brought to the precinct police station an hour later. Between 1.30 p.m. and 7.00 p.m., he was detained in the police station and interrogated by several criminal investigators.
10.  In his written statement given at the police station, the applicant mentioned, inter alia, that he had been arrested by the police when he and a journalist from the National Radio approached a group of policemen beating up a student. Since he had written on his forehead the word “STUDENT”, the police arrested him. He stated that he was an active participant but that he was not involved in violence.
11.  On an unspecified date, the district police completed the administrative case file in connection with the offence committed by the applicant, mentioning inter alia that he had actively participated in an unauthorised meeting that had taken place in front of the building of the Municipal Council. The case was then referred to the competent district court.
12.  Following an oral hearing on 19 April 2000, the Centru District Court imposed on the applicant an administrative fine of MDL 36 (the equivalent of 3.17 euros (EUR) at the time) provided for in Article 174/1 § 4 of the CAO. In its order, the court stated, inter alia, that the applicant had actively participated in a demonstration of students, which had been carried out without authorisation from the Municipal Council, and that he had admitted having participated in the demonstration.
13.  On 28 April 2000 the applicant lodged an appeal against the above order. He argued that the fine had been unlawfully imposed on him and that the sanction was contrary to the freedom of assembly and to the right to strike guaranteed by Articles 40 and 45 of the Constitution.
14.  On 4 May 2000 at 10 a.m. the Chişinău Regional Court heard the applicant’s appeal in his absence and dismissed it.
15.  According to the Government the summons for the hearing was sent on 2 May 2000 by regular post and should have arrived at its destination on 3 May 2000.
16.  According to the applicant, it was sent on 3 May 2000 and was received by him on 4 May 2000 after 10 a.m.
17.  The postmark on the envelope, applied by the outgoing post office (namely, by the first post office through which the envelope was routed) indicates the date of 3 May 2000. The postmark applied by the incoming post office is not entirely legible.
18.  On 5 May 2000, the applicant appeared before the Registry of the Chişinău Regional Court to inquire about his case. He was issued with a copy of the judgment of the Chişinău Regional Court of 4 May 2000 dismissing his appeal and upholding the order of the District Court of 19 April 2000.
19.  On 10 May 2000 the applicant filed a request for annulment (contestaţie în anulare) with the Chişinău Regional Court against its decision of 4 May 2000, arguing that he had not been properly summonsed and consequently did not have a fair trial. The court refused to register the request on the ground that the CAO did not provide for such a remedy. On 18 May and 22 June 2000 respectively, the court rejected the repeated requests lodged by the applicant and his lawyer.
20.  On 18 May 2000, the applicant accompanied by a lawyer of the Helsinki Committee of Human Rights and by an advocate made another attempt to file a request for annulment with the Registry of the Chişinău Regional Court but the Registry refused to register it.
21.  On 12 June 2000, following the bailiff’s request, the applicant paid the fine provided for in the decision of 19 April 2000.